Of Frying Pans and Hard Places
by Ilmare-Ilse
Summary: Danny said that if he lost Grace he would jump from a cliff, but what would he really do if the judge ruled against him? AU for 3X14
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi all!

Well, this is something that has been running inside my head ever since 3X14. It could have some spoilers for the episode but it's mostly AU.

Enjoy!

* * *

Steve and the Governor were halfway down their beer when Steve noticed that Danny hadn't come back from his phone call. He looked around and back towards his house, but the blonde detective was nowhere to be found.

With a muttered apology to the Governor, Steve moved inside the house, checking if his partner had gone to the bathroom or to look for something in the kitchen, but he didn't have any luck in either room.

He moved to look out the window to check if the Camaro was still parked outside, but the car was gone as well. Growing even more concerned, Steve stepped outside, taking out his phone and dialing Danny's number. The feel of something crunching under his feet made him look down at the same time that Danny's voicemail came over the phone. The sight of Danny's phone on the floor, crunched to pieces explained why.

Steve knew right away that something had gone very wrong with Danny's call, and he would be damned before he let his friend face it alone, so he pressed Chin's speed dial, moving into the house and muttering a short apology to the Governor before he was in his truck and speeding away.

* * *

Danny didn't really know where he was going. His first instinct was to drive to Stan's house, break in and take his daughter away, hide her somewhere they couldn't take her, probably Steve would know of a bunker or a deserted island that would do the trick. Unfortunately, he knew that he wouldn't go through with it, and in the end it would do more harm than good.

He also considered the idea of running the Camaro down a cliff, one of those rocky ones, to guarantee the painful demise of the beautiful car and its owner, but, damn him and his conscience, he couldn't bring himself to leave his Monkey to grow up without him. He knew that he would end up following Grace to Vegas, and that even though the judge's decision gave Rachel the power to completely cut off any contact between him and Grace, he would still do his best to keep the place safe for his girl.

He drove away from the city, not taking notice of the time or his surroundings, trying to come to terms with everything he would have to give up, and how his life was going to change.

He needed to think and to breath, and after a while the Camaro started to feel confining, so he looked around, trying to find some place to stop.

He stopped his car by the side of the road, where the trees opened up to show a view of the ocean a few feet down and the rocky cliffs nearby.

He leaned against the hood of his car, looking at the amazing view around him for a few minutes. With a deep breath he dropped his head, giving himself a moment to break, wallow in his misery and generally recount all the reasons his life sucked right then.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the sound of the ocean. The same sound that had haunted his nightmares for so long now had become some strange kind of comfort, one he would grudgingly miss when he followed Grace.

The sound of the ocean was suddenly interrupted by the sound of frightened voices.

"Joey! Be careful!"

"No, Stop!"

"Pull me up! Pull me up!"

* * *

Danny looked around and down towards the nearby rocks and found two teenage girls and a boy standing precariously over some rocks, with the waves breaking all around them. The soaked clothes of the boy showed that he had tried to brave the waves, but without too much success. It was clear that the tide was rising, and the waves would pummel them against the rocks if they didn't get out of there soon.

Danny moved back towards the Camaro, checking his pockets to get his phone. That's when he remembered that back at Steve's he'd thrown the phone to the floor and stepped on it repeatedly, so with a shake of his head, he opened the trunk, hoping that his crazy partner had put some of his commando stuff that would help him in this situation.

He found some rope and a first aid kit, but decided against taking the kit. He needed to get the kids off the rocks quickly, so there wouldn't be time to check for injuries.

With the rope over his shoulder, Danny moved towards the cliff, looking around for a place where he could tie the rope, climb down and that was not to steep to climb back up with the kids.

* * *

He found a sturdy tree, tied the rope, secured the harness around his hips and started the slow descent towards the kids. His patent leather loafers didn't give him the better purchase, so the death grip he had on the rope was at times the only thing keeping him from tumbling towards the rocky floor.

It took a lot of curses, plenty of scratches to his arms and knees and completely ruined slacks, but finally Danny managed to lower himself to a ledge closer to the rock where the kids were trapped. They had been following his progress and now that he was at arm's reach, figuratively speaking, they were getting overly anxious to get out of there.

* * *

He moved closer to their rock and tried to get them to calm down. "Hey guys, I'm Detective Danny Williams, I'm gonna get you out of here, but I need you guys to stay calm, ok?" He said, looking around for a way to reach them.

Unfortunately, the only solution he could find was a crazy move worthy of Spiderman, or at least of his crazy Super SEAL partner. Another look around his surroundings didn't bring any other solution, so he just braced himself for what he would have to do.

First of all, he needed the kids to give him some room to 'land'. "Guys, I need you to move away a bit. Be careful!"

When the kids had moved, Danny took a deep breath, moved a couple of steps back, gripped the rope as tightly as he could and took a running jump towards the nearby rock.

His landing was less than graceful, but other than slipping on his completely inadequate shoes and adding a bruise or two to his already battered arms, he managed just fine. "Hey guys? You wanna get out of here?" He asked the two girls and boy with a smile on his face.

The kids nodded vigorously, trying desperately to keep a hold of their panic. "Yes, please! Get us out of here!" Said the smallest of them, moving to squeeze his arms, trying to make sure he wouldn't disappear on them.

Danny squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, that's exactly my plan! Why don't you tell me your names?" He asked them with a friendly smile.

"I'm Kelly…" The smaller girl said. She hadn't let go of Danny's arm and out of the three was the one whose clothes looked less soggy.

"I'm Nat, I'm Kell's sister" Said the other girl. Danny could see the resemblance, and understood that Nat had been trying this whole time to keep Kelly as far away from the water as she could.

"I'm Joe…" Said the young man. The scrapes on his arms and legs and his soaked clothes showed he had tried to brave the waves and hadn't been successful, but he seemed to be keeping it together for now.

Danny looked around and noticed that the waves were breaking even closer to their precarious perch, so he needed to move quickly. His first priority was to get the kids to the ledge where he first landed. It was far better protected from the water and from there he could try to climb back to the car with them. With that plan in mind, he turned to the kids. "Alright, who wants to go first?" He asked with an enthusiastic smile that he really didn't feel.

"She goes first!" Nat said, propelling her little sister towards Danny without any hesitation.

Danny had fully expected it, since it was exactly what he would have done if he and any of his siblings had found themselves in this situation. "Alright Kelly. We're kind of short on gear right now, so I'm going to need you to hang on real tight, ok? We are going to pretend I'm Tarzan and you are Jane, Ok?" He asked, getting panicked look from the younger girl. "Joe will get to play Cheeta, the monkey later…" He said with a smile, finally pulling a smile from the frightened girl. He reached to take Kelly in his arms like he usually took Grace. Although Kelly was a good couple of years older, and therefore much taller which made for an awkward grip on both sides, Kelly's grip seemed secure.

"Alright Kell… On three you hang on real tight, ok? One… two… THREE!" He said, taking his running jump back to his initial perch. The landing was even less graceful than the first one, with Danny taking the brunt of it with his shoulder, but they made it mostly in one piece. It took Danny some effort to convince Kelly to let go of his neck, but the reminder that he had to go back for his sister and their friend made her let go finally.

* * *

The second trip was both better and worse than the first one. Better because Danny knew what to expect about both landings, and worse because he was carrying a girl about his own height that while skinny, still weighted much more than he was used to. The speed in which he had to move also made the second landing more uncomfortable for his shoulder and back, but the waves were coming up more swiftly, Joe was running out of time and he hadn't wanted to leave Kelly by herself on the ledge for too long, so he ignored the pain, focusing on getting the job done.

Danny was getting ready for his third trip when a strong pull on the rope made him look up and find the welcome sight of a uniform looking down at them. "Detective Williams, do you need assistance?" The young cop yelled.

Danny would have rolled his eyes, but figured it wouldn't really help in this situation. "Yes! Get the coast guard or firemen down here! We need these girls up there, and I'm going to get Joe over there off that rock!" He wondered how the cop knew his name, and what was he doing here, but didn't have time to dwell on it, because by now Joe was hanging on for dear life and needed help now.

Danny made his jump, but not before a large wave swept Joe off his feet and into the water. He didn't have any time to formulate a plan, so he just took off his harness and jumped into the water behind the sinking boy.

* * *

Danny expected to have trouble moving in the churning waters, but he never expected to find out in real life how it felt to be inside a blender. By some miracle he managed to get thrown against something that felt more like a human being than like the hard rock around him, so he twisted himself around and latched to the unmoving body with all his strength.

He really needed to come up for air at that point, but he knew it wouldn't be as simple as swimming upwards, so he tried to time his movement with a retreating wave. He broke the surface with a breathless cough and was relieved to hear Joe coughing weakly next to him, but Danny knew they weren't out of danger yet.

He looked around, trying to find some place where the waves broke more gently, but he could only see a nearby ledge that, if he timed their exit right, would see them coming out of the water without too many bruises.

Joe was too limp in Danny's arms to be of any help, but Danny was thankful that he could feel on his arm the soft puffs of air coming from the teen.

He waited for the right time and started using his free arm and his legs to move himself towards the nearby rocks. He was kicking with all that he got, but unfortunately it wasn't enough as a large wave broke over his head, pulling him and Joe under. He barely managed to resurface when another wave came, throwing them against the unforgiving rocks. The cycle repeated at least three more times (Danny had lost count by now) when he finally managed to take a weak hold of the rocks in front of him. It only lasted until the next wave came and made them go under again.

Danny never heard the sound of a body jumping into the water or the two people moving swiftly through the rocks towards his position.

He had finally managed to get a good hold on the rock and was trying to figure out how the hell was he going to get Joe out of the water when a pair of strong arms wrapped firmly around his body, anchoring him safely to the rocks. "Easy Danno, I've got you." Said a familiar voice.

* * *

Danny didn't even have time to be relieved before two pairs of hands pulled Joe away from him and into safety. He would have looked up to see who the hands belonged to, but he had barely enough energy left to keep himself afloat, and in any case he had a suspicion that the hands belonged to the rest of his team.

His suspicions were proven right when the same hands pulled him out of the water and sat him on the hard rocky floor. He started coughing up half of the ocean out of his lungs, feeling like his whole body was one big painful bruise. He felt as limp as a rag doll and would have slipped to lay on the rocky ground if it wasn't for a strong body holding him in place. "'teve?" He asked, instinctively knowing the owner of the cargo pants he could see beside him.

"Yeah Danno, I've got you… Just save your breath, ok? We're getting you guys out of here pretty soon…" Steve said in a gentle voice.

Danny frowned, coughing a couple of times and remembering the other two girls still stranded by the cliff wall. "The girls… Kelly and Nat… They… they are alone…" He said between coughs, trying to lift his head and look for them.

Steve patted Danny's back softly. "Kono is going back to them right now Danno… They're alright, thanks to you. HFD is on the way to get them out of here, and we called in a chopper to get you and the kid out of here, ok?"

Danny nodded tiredly against Steve's chest. "His name's Joe… 's he aright?" He asked softly.

"He's a bit battered and waterlogged, just like you, but he's conscious and coherent… You did good buddy…" Steve said, patting Danny's back again.

Ok, everyone was safe, so Danny could finally relax. There was just one more thing he needed to know, to make sure. "Grace?" He asked, blinking slowly.

He could feel Steve tensing at his side. "She's at home with Rachel Danno… You didn't pick her up on your way here, did you?" He asked in a far too calm voice.

Danny opened his eyes and thought about it for a while. He knew he wasn't with Grace when he got here, but something had happened with his little girl. The memory of it sapped the last of his strength. "No… Tha's not it… I lost her, didn't I?... She's leaving… I lost her…" He muttered sadly before he finally closed his eyes.

"No Danno… We'll fix it… You'll never lose her…" Danny didn't hear Steve's heartfelt declaration or feel his partner's arms tightening around him, trying somehow to protect him from his painful reality.

* * *

TBC…

* * *

A/N: Well, I'm not sure if this qualifies me to be part of the DWOCD, but if there's some place to apply, consider this my application. This story shouldn't be too long, specially since it was supposed to be a oneshot in my head, but I'll try to update regularly.

I'd really love to hear what you guys think, so feel free to drop a line!

See you around!


	2. Chapter 2

For Steve the last few hours seemed like a blur of conflicting emotions, but looking at the sleeping figure in the hospital bed, he couldn't help to be thankful that things hadn't turned out much worse.

He had trouble believing that in the last 5 hours they had gone from rescuing a congressman from Wo Fat's clutches, to celebrating the successful closing of the case, and from there to another mad dash, this time trying to find Danny before he did something stupid.

* * *

After leaving his place Steve had contacted Chin and Kono and had picked them up at HQ. Chin was tracking the GPS on the Camaro, and Kono had contacted some friends from the academy and had asked them to keep an eye out for the silver car while keeping their search off any official records. She had also made some calls to Danny's lawyer, confirming the news they all dreaded.

The GPS showed that the Camaro had stopped on Kamehameha Highway, in an unpopulated area surrounded by cliffs. They were almost reaching that location when one of Kono's classmates called her, telling her that he had found Danny, and that he was trying to rescue some kids trapped on the rocks near the cliff face. He had called Rescue Services, but Danny needed help and he needed it soon.

The three minutes that took them to reach the location Kono's friend had indicated seemed to last an eternity. The sight of the Camaro didn't bring them any relief, since there was no sign of any help coming, other than a single patrol car. Steve pulled over behind the Camaro and they all rushed out of the truck, picking up some equipment from the back that they would need.

* * *

By the time they reached the edge of the small cliff, Danny was already in the water, trying to slowly make his way towards some rocks where the waves were not breaking as roughly. Both Chin and Kono were fastening harnesses to climb down, but Steve could see that it would take too long. When a large wave caught Danny and the kid and slammed them against the rock Steve made up his mind, taking off his boots and his shirt and emptying his pockets of the more heavy items. He directed Chin and Kono to meet him by the rocks to pull Danny and the boy out of the water and took a flying leap to the water below.

His training helped him to reach Danny quickly and to anchor him against the strong currents trying to pull him away from the rocks, and once they were out, his only concern was making sure that his partner's vitals were stable.

* * *

After that, it was a long waiting game. They waited about 15 minutes for the med evac to come over and pick up Danny and Joey.

Once they reached the hospital, they had to wait about 2 hours before a doctor came out and gave them any news about Danny. He was beaten and bruised, his left shoulder was badly wrenched, but thankfully it was not dislocated, so he would only have to wear a sling for a few days. He had a couple of cracked ribs and a concussion. The considerable bruising on his torso and some concerns regarding all the sea water he had swallowed made the doctors want to keep him a couple of nights for observation.

It took them another hour before they were allowed to see Danny and after that another one before the blonde man showed signs of waking.

* * *

Danny opened his eyes to an unfamiliar room. He felt sort of numb and fuzzy and he had no idea where he was. Something was wrapped over his left arm, not letting him move anything but his fingers and there were multiple aches all over his body. At least his right arm was free, although it felt bruised and heavy when he tried to lift it.

Movement around him made him look up and find his partner's smiling face. "Hey Danny, how are you feeling?" Steve asked him with a worried smile on his face.

Danny gave him a tired one armed shrug. "Dunno… Alright, I guess… Kinda fuzzy… What happened?" He asked in a soft mumble.

Steve gave him a weary smile, but he couldn't really hide the concern underneath. "Do you remember the kids trapped by the rocks? Kelly, Nat and Joe?"

Danny closed his eyes, nodding tiredly. "Right… Are they ok? You got Joey out, right?"

Steve chuckled. "No Danny, you're the one who got him out, we just helped a bit… Joe is alright, he's stuck in the hospital for a day or two, just like you, but he's doing really well… You did good, buddy…"

Danny nodded, relieved. He opened his eyes to look at his partner again. "How the hell did you manage to get there so quickly anyway?" He asked him with a confused frown on his face.

Steve shrugged, looking down at his booted feet. "Well, I was a bit… concerned when you disappeared after that phone call… So… We may have tracked the GPS on the Camaro… Just to make sure that you were alright…" He said, sounding uncertain.

Danny closed his eyes with a groan, the damn phone call finally coming back to him. "I'm guessing you called my lawyer as well?" He asked in a soft voice.

For a moment Steve really didn't know how to answer, but he settled for the truth. "I didn't call him, Kono did, but we all know what happened… I'm sorry, buddy…" He said with a sad sigh.

Danny didn't bother to acknowledge Steve's words or open his eyes. He lifted his hand, he was not sure if it was to rub his throbbing forehead or to cover his eyes that were tearing up for some reason, or if it was to hide from the world, but none of those options seemed to make things better. He tried to hold his breath, trying to stop his heartbreak from bursting out, but everything just hurt too much. He curled up on his side, trying to hide his face on the pillow, trying to hold it in as much as he could, trying to spare his friend from seeing him like this, but the feeling of something warm climbing up his arm made everything grow even more fuzzy, and suddenly nothing really mattered and he just let go, finally allowing himself to release his soft whimpers onto the pillow

* * *

Steve looked helplessly as his friend fought the breakdown with all that he had, but it was just too much.

A nurse popped into the room just then to check on Danny, but only one look at him had her rushing out to get a syringe, which she proceeded to empty into Danny's IV, claiming that it was a sedative and that it would help him to get some rest.

Steve really thought that the sedative would help, but when Danny lifted his face from the pillow and started crying like a heartbroken little boy, he suddenly wished that the nurse would come back, so he could throw her out the 5 story window. He tried to comfort his friend somehow, patting his head awkwardly and telling him that things would be okay, but nothing seemed to work.

When someone knocked on the door, Steve was fully prepared to bite the nurse's head off and tell her that the sedative was definitely not working as it was supposed to, but a small frightened voice stopped him in his tracks. "Danno?"

* * *

Steve looked up and saw Rachel standing by the door and Grace rushing from Rachel's side and to the side of Danny's bed before her mother could stop her. "Danno?" She asked again in a small voice, frightened and sad at seeing her dad crying.

Danny opened hazy, tear filled eyes when he heard Grace's voice. "Monkey? Please don't leave…" He mumbled, reaching his hand towards his girl.

Grace took his hand and carefully climbed into the bed, wrapping her arms as best as she could around her dad. "I'm here Danno…" She said in a quivering voice.

Danny tried to hold her close. "Please, don't leave Monkey… Can't do it again…" He mumbled one last time before he finally fell asleep with a shuddering sigh.

* * *

Rachel gave them a few minutes before she came closer. "Come on Grace… Your father needs to rest, let's go home, sweetheart." She told Grace softly.

Grace shook her head against Danny's chest. "Not leaving, Danno asked me to stay…" She said in a voice full of tears.

Rachel wanted to insist, but she didn't want to get Grace more upset. Fortunately, Steve saved her the trouble. "Rachel, maybe I could drop her off in a couple of hours?" He asked, willing her to agree.

Rachel didn't seem to like the idea too much, but she finally nodded, leaning forward to drop a kiss on Grace's head before she left the room.

* * *

Steve waited a few minutes before he moved forward to take the sniffling little girl in his arms. "It's alright, Gracie… We'll fix it; I promise we'll fix it." He told her while gently rubbing her trembling back.

* * *

TBC...

* * *

A/N: Well, first of all, thank you very much for reading!

Second, I'm just starting my two weeks off work (yay!), so I'll try to update more regularly.

Third, this is the first idea I had in my head with this story, Danny reduced to begging his girl not to leave, but the only way I thought he would do it was if he was injured and drugged up... I hope you don't think it's too OOC for our poor Danno.

Anyways, I'd really love to know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Danny opened his eyes to bright sunlight, so bright that it made him snap his eyes shut again and groan in annoyance. He could hear movement around him, and a moment later the light was not as harsh, so he tried opening his eyes again.

He was not surprised to find his partner, looking like he hadn't slept a wink all night, and fiddling nervously with the curtains. Well, his evident nervousness was a bit surprising. "What did you blow up?" He asked him as a greeting.

Steve looked at him startled. "What?" He asked, looking at him from head to toe, as if he was deciding to get the nurse to knock him out again.

Danny rolled his eyes, regretting the movement right away when a piercing pain in his head reminded him that he was injured. "Babe, you've got a face, one that you only get when you're afraid I'm going to freak out about something you did, so out with it…" He said, with a wave of his good hand.

Steve shook his head, confused. "I've no idea what you're talking about, buddy… I was just worried about you, that's all… How're you feeling?"

Danny frowned. "Worried about me? Why would you be…" Before he could finish the thought he remembered the events from the previous day, or part of them at least. "Damn… I'm sorry babe… I don't know what came over me last night… It was last night, right?" He said, sounding confused and embarrassed.

Steve sat down on a chair next to Danny's bed, leaning forward to catch his friend's eye. "Hey Danny… You have nothing to apologize about, ok? Yesterday was a very rough day for you…"

Danny shook his head with a tired sigh. He lifted his hand to rub his aching forehead, until he remembered something. "Hey… Did you call Rachel?" He asked, when Steve's panicky look increased tenfold, Danny grew concerned. "You called her, right? Does Grace know I'm in the hospital? I don't want her to find out through the news or a classmate or something like that!" He said, growing nervous.

Steve was shaking his head with a frown on his face. He wasn't sure how to respond. "What? Grace? Yes, she knows you're in the hospital… She came over last night to see you for a little while…" He said, wondering if that would prick Danny's memories.

Danny frowned, not remembering Grace's visit at all. "She came over last night? Damn… Everything about last night is a fuzzy blur! Please tell me I didn't say anything stupid to her?!" He asked, concerned.

Steve tried to smile reassuringly. "Don't worry Danny, you didn't say anything stupid. By the time she got here you were almost asleep. She stayed for a couple of hours and then I drove her home…" He said, trying to make it all sound like nothing out of the ordinary.

Danny frowned, somehow knowing that Steve wasn't telling him everything. "Was she too scared?" He asked, concerned.

Steve shook his head. "She was worried at first, but she knows you were getting out of here real soon, so she calmed down. In fact, Rachel is bringing her over later today…" He said, still not telling Danny anything about what really happened the previous night.

Danny looked surprised. "She is?... What about the… They're not going to Vegas yet, right?" He asked in a small voice.

Steve came closer and put a reassuring hand on Danny's shoulder. "Yes she is, Danny. I'm not sure what their plans are, but I'm sure they're not leaving until you all have had time to talk…"

Danny didn't look too convinced, but nodded in relief. "Ok… Thanks babe."

* * *

The rest of the day went by fairly quickly for Danny. Grace came over and spent the entire afternoon sitting on the bed, squished against his side. Danny was a bit concerned by the worried looks she gave him from time to time, but he was too busy with the visit of Nat, Kelly and their parents, and the constant checkups of the doctor and the nurses to ask her about it. By the time he had a minute alone with his little girl they were interrupted by Rachel, who was coming by to pick her up.

Rachel's greeting was kind, and far more civil than she had been since the whole custody issue started. "Hello Danny. I'm glad that you're looking better." She said, not really looking at his face.

Danny was too busy looking at his lap to notice Rachel's behavior. He was really trying not to think on the judge's decision, and how soon Grace would leave the island.

It was an awkward situation all around, one that fortunately Rachel wanted to end quickly. "Grace Sweetheart, it's time to go home…" She said.

Nobody was expecting Grace's reply, or the tone she used. "No, I'm not leaving. I'm staying with Danno." She snapped at her mother, not even bothering to look in her direction.

The silence that followed was deafening.

* * *

TBC…

* * *

A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews, and in general for just stopping by and reading!

I'm not entirely sure about this chapter, because not much happens, but hopefully there'll be better stuff in the next one(s?).

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chater anyway! See you soon!


	4. Chapter 4

At Grace's outburst, Danny raised his eyebrows, but before he could say anything, Rachel spoke again. "Sweetheart, you have school tomorrow, we should go home so you can go to bed…" She said in a gentle voice.

Danny turned in surprise to look at Rachel, and was shocked to see that there was nothing but kindness in her tone, and not even a trace of annoyance at Grace's unusual behavior. Grace didn't seem to notice and if she did, she didn't seem to care. "I'm not going to school tomorrow, and I'm staying with Danno tonight!" She snapped, not looking at her mother.

Danny was too confused by what was happening, but he couldn't in good conscience tolerate Grace being disrespectful with her mother. "Grace! That's not way to talk to your mom!" He said in an authoritative tone.

Grace turned to him with wide eyes that quickly started to fill, and Danny was bracing himself to ignore those tears, but Rachel stopped whatever he was about to say. "Grace, Your father is going to be released tomorrow, and I was planning on dropping you off after school at Steve's so you could spend the weekend with him…" She said in a calm tone.

Grace looked surprised from Danny's face to Rachel's. "I can spend the weekend with Danno?" She asked in a small voice.

Rachel nodded with a small smile on her face, "Yes sweetheart, but the doctors are going to be checking your father and maybe doing some tests before he can go to Steve's home, so you may get bored her in the hospital…" She said in a patient tone.

Grace turned to her father, trying to make sure that her mom was telling the truth. "I really can spend the weekend with you at Uncle Steve's?" She asked.

Danny was just as surprised by the news, but started nodding his head anyway; he stopped short when he realized part of the deal. "Who said I'm going to Steve's when I get out of here?" He asked, throwing an accusing look at his partner.

Steve lifted his hands in a defensive gesture. "Hey Danno, you know I don't always have the best opinion about your living arrangements, but this time it wasn't my idea!" He said, shaking his head.

Rachel looked surprised. "Oh! I'm sorry, I just assumed…" She said, looking from Danny to Steve.

Danny was preparing a rant, but one look at Grace's disappointed face stopped him in his tracks, so with a sigh he sealed his fate for the next few days. "Steven, would you mind if after I'm released from the hospital, Grace and I spent the weekend at your place?" He asked, giving Grace a small smile.

"Of course I wouldn't mind, Danno! It would be my pleasure!" He said, throwing his future guests one of his goofy grins.

Danny turned to look at Grace. "Alright Monkey, we're all set up for crashing at Steve's place tomorrow, but you should really go to school in the morning…" He said, giving her a sympathetic look.

With a sad sigh and a nod, Grace moved to give her father a hug. "Alright Danno, I'll go, but just because you asked…"

* * *

The weekend went by quietly, with Danny still recovering and having to take strong painkillers.

He had spent most of the time sleeping in the guest room or resting in one of the chairs of the lanai, watching as Steve and Kono found ways to keep an overactive nine year old busy. They had built a gigantic sand castle with a moat, four towers, a bridge and a wall that reached Steve's knee, they had swam until Grace's toes resembled an octogenarian's, and after that they had played some strange sort of tag game, which involved crawling on the sand and hiding in the strangest places, to "avoid capture". Danny only hoped that his crazy partner was not using some crazy part of his BUDs training as an inspiration for the game.

The few quiet moments they had for themselves, Danny and Grace spent chatting about school or Grace's friends or watching Grace's favorite movies, but for some reason Danny was starting to get concerned about her behavior. He wasn't sure if it was just his own fears about what was about to come, but to him it looked like Grace was putting up a fake smile for his sake.

He tried to talk to his little girl about it, tried to figure out what had made her upset, but every time they had a moment to really talk, Grace would find some kind of distraction, running off to the bathroom or to find something somewhere in the house, or calling up Steve to show him some part of the movie they were watching or to ask the most random questions, so he never really got the chance.

Far too soon for Danny's taste it was time for Grace to go back to her mother and while Danny knew the separation would not be pleasant, he never expected things to go so badly.

* * *

They were lying on the couch, watching as one of the ponies suddenly grew a pair of wings and turned into a princess – "Wait, so now she's some kind of Pegasus?" "No Danno! She's a princess! Like the evil pony and her pretty sister!" – when Rachel arrived. Steve received her with a smile and moved to the kitchen, not wanting to intrude. Rachel moved to give Grace a hug, but she could feel the little girl tensing in her arms.

Rachel released Grace and turned to Danny. "Hello Danny, I'm glad to see you look better today…" She said with a small smile.

Danny gave her a tight smile, but was more concerned about Grace, who was sitting by the coffee table, far too focused on putting some of her things inside her backpack.

Rachel moved closer to Grace, putting her hand on Grace's shoulder. "Come on sweetheart; give your father a hug, so we can get home in time for dinner." She said in a kind voice.

Grace didn't really look back at Rachel; instead she focused her big brown eyes on Danny. "Danno, I want to stay here, with you…" She said in a voice that was starting to shake.

Danny and Rachel shared a helpless look before he looked at his little girl again. "Monkey, you know there's nothing I like better than to spend time with you, but you have school tomorrow, and I'm sure both Stan and Charlie miss you a lot…"

Grace's eyes started filling and her chin started to tremble. "But you said-" But before she could finish, Rachel interrupted. "Grace, we really should go…"

Grace clearly didn't appreciate the interruption. "NO! I don't want to go! I want to stay with Danno!" She snapped, moving closer to her father.

Danny put an arm around Grace's shoulders, wanting nothing more than to keep her close, but he knew that right now he wasn't in any position to let her stay. He tried to paste a smile on his face and did his best to lie through his teeth. "Monkey… I'd love for you to stay, but I'm going to be really busy this week, and if you stay you'd only get bored… Maybe it would be better if you go back to your mom's?"

Grace was shaking her head from side to side, clearly agitated, and this time there was nothing Rachel could do to stop the barrage of words from coming out. "NO! You said… You asked me to stay! When we got to the hospital you were sick and were crying and you asked me not to leave! You said you didn't want me to leave, that you didn't want that anymore, and now when I don't want to leave you, you want me to go away!" She said in between heartbroken hiccups.

Danny was far too stunned to do anything, so Rachel moved closer to try to comfort the little girl, but Grace moved away, in the direction of the back door. "Leave me alone! You want us to leave! You want us to leave Danno here alone while we go away to Vegas! You never ask me if I want to leave! You just pack our stuff and drag me with you, and Danno has to follow so he's not all alone! I hate you, and I hate Danno because he never tells you to stop leaving! I hate you both!" She yelled at her parents. She ran towards the door, slamming it on her way out and sprinting towards the beach.

* * *

Rachel hurried after Grace, but Danny was too shocked to do anything. Steve had come out of the kitchen when Grace had started screaming, so he heard most of the conversation. He took in his partner's defeated posture and instantly regretted not telling Danny about his breakdown when he just woke up in the hospital. Trying to make up for it he moved closer to his friend, placing a hand on Danny's shoulder.

Danny was still sitting on the couch, but had lowered his head to rest it on his hands. He flinched away from Steve's hand, not bothering to look at the other man. "Don't even bother… Just, go after her; don't let her get too far…" He said in a hoarse voice.

Steve withdrew his hand regretfully, but with a determined nod he moved towards the back door, leaving his friend alone, all his focus on catching up to Grace.

* * *

TBC...

* * *

A/N: Well, I really apologize for the long wait, but work and school have ganged up to make my life miserable. I hope to have some more time to write after the end of the month!

I'd really love to hear what you think of this chapter and I hope you don't hate me too much for making Gracie cry.

See you all soon! (hopefully!)


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the delay, but here's the next chapter. I hope it's worth the wait.**

* * *

Steve found Rachel looking around frantically, calling out for Grace without success. She saw him coming and rushed to his side. "Steve! I can't find her! She's gone!" She said in an anxious voice, still looking in all directions.

Steve looked around as well, directing her towards the right side of the beach. "Calm down, Rachel, she couldn't have gone far. Let's split, you look that way and I will look in the opposite direction…" And at Rachel's assent, he started looking around, searching for clues that could point him to Grace's location.

* * *

He found what he was looking for right at the water's edge. It looked like Grace didn't want to be followed, so she had moved as close as the water as she could so the waves would wash away her footprints.

Fortunately for Steve, it looked like Grace eventually moved away from the water, and he could follow her prints towards a small cluster of shrubbery. He moved silently and managed to hear the soft sniffles coming from behind the leaves, so he came closer, crouched by what looked like the entrance to the leafy sanctuary and peeked in. "Hey Gracie, do you mind if I come in?" He asked softly.

Grace was curled up with her face hidden between her arms, sobs wracking her entire frame. She looked up when she heard Steve's words, she was surprised for a second, but then she practically threw herself into Steve's arms. "Uncle Steve!" She wailed into his shoulder.

Steve held her close, relieved that at least Grace still trusted him enough to let him help. "Hey, sweetheart, it's okay… It'll be okay…" He crooned to the distraught girl.

Grace shook her hear jerkily, not lifting her face from Steve's chest. "NO! You were there… at the 'spital! You heard! He said he didn't want me to go! You saw how sad he was! And mom doesn't care… She… she just wants us to leave, no matter if he can follow…" She said in between hiccups.

Steve petted her head trying to comfort her. "I know Gracie… But your mom, your dad and Stan only want what's best for you and Charlie… They're trying to find a way to make everyone happy, but sometimes change is hard, you know?"

Grace had calmed down a bit, but she still clung to her uncle, twisting around to sit more comfortably on his lap. "But Danno's unhappy, and I don't want him to be unhappy… Besides, I don't really want to go." She said with a tired sigh. "When we first came here I didn't have any friends, and now that I do we have to leave again…" She mumbled tiredly. She didn't seem to hear the soft footsteps just outside their sanctuary, but Steve did. He chose not to say anything, since he figured that Rachel needed to hear Grace's side without any external pressures.

Steve gathered Grace close, talking in a gentle voice. "I'm sure it'll be alright, you're the nicest girl I've known, Gracie. I'm sure that you'll have no problem making new friends."

Grace was leaning her head against Steve's shoulder and moved it around to look at Steve's face. "Danno said that you had to move after your mom pretended to go to heaven… Did you have trouble making friends there?"

Steve recalled that sad time of his life. He thought about lying, but he knew that all Grace needed right now was honesty. "Well, at that time I was really sad about my mom and very confused about having to move away, so I wasn't really in a mood to get a lot of friends… It took me a while, and I was mostly alone, but once I started at Annapolis I met a bunch of guys that were like brothers to me… Don't worry sweetheart, it's going to be ok…" He said with a small smile.

"I'm gonna miss you, Uncle Steve…" Grace said with a sniff.

Steve held her close. "Oh, you won't even get a chance, Gracie. If you ever move away, we'll be calling all the time, and we'll be visiting so often that you'll get tired of us!" That at least got a tired giggle from the little girl on his arms.

Steve heard the soft footsteps moving away a bit and a minute later he and Grace turned around when they heard Rachel's voice calling for Grace. Steve gave her a sympathetic look. "What do you say we get back to your mom and your Danno? They were worried…"

Grace's shoulders slumped. "Ok, but they'll be mad…" She said somberly.

Steve chuckled. "I think right now they'll be mostly worried, and not as angry as you think…" He said with a comforting smile.

"Alright…" Grace said, and with another sigh she moved from Steve's lap and started crawling out of their hiding place.

* * *

Once Steve crawled out as well, he could see Grace slowly walking towards her mother and after exchanging some quiet words, the little girl buried herself in Rachel's arms. After holding tight for a couple of seconds, they both started walking back to the house hand in hand and Steve followed.

Danny was waiting in the lanai, looking around anxiously. When Grace spotted him she let go of Rachel's hand and ran to give her dad a hug just as big as the one she gave her mom. Danny and Rachel exchanged a look over Grace's head before she and Steve moved into the house, leaving Danny and Grace on the lanai.

* * *

Danny pulled Grace to sit on the chairs nearby and once they were sitting Grace started talking. "I'm sorry Danno, I don't really hate you… I just don't want you to be so sad…" She said softly, not looking at her dad's face.

Danny gently put his hand under Grace's chin to get her to look at him. "Monkey, do you remember what I always tell you? Where my home is?"

"You always say that your home is where I am…" Grace said uncertainly. "But you have friends here now, and a job that you like, even when Uncle Steve does crazy stuff… Hawaii is your home now too…"

With a weary sigh Danny drew Grace close. "Monkey, I can find a job in Vegas just like I found a job here and about my friends... Well, good friends will still be friends, no matter how close or far they live…" Danny said with a small smile on his face.

Grace looked closely at her father and didn't look too convinced, but didn't have much of a choice other than accepting her Danno's words, even if she didn't like them. She leaned forward to wrap her arms around Danny's neck. "I love you Danno…"

Danny closed his eyes, drinking in the nearness of his little girl. "I love you more Monkey… Now your mom has waited long enough. What do you say about going home? Tomorrow is a school day…"

With a put upon sigh Grace let go of her father. "Ok… but I'm asking mom to let me come see you on Wednesday!" She said, giving him a serious look.

Danny smiled tiredly. "Ok Monkey…"

After collecting her things and giving her uncle Steve another hug, Grace finally agreed to go home with her mom. Danny stood by the door, watching as the car drove away until it disappeared around the corner.

* * *

Steve was inside, fidgeting and looking for things to do. When Danny came back in, he stood a few feet away from him, looking uncertain. "I'm sorry Danny…" He said when the silence lasted for too long.

Danny didn't even look in Steve's direction, choosing to make his slow way upstairs instead. Steve wanted to follow, but decided to give him a few minutes to cool off. He didn't have to wait too long, because 10 minutes later Danny was coming down the stairs dragging a duffle bag behind him and moving towards the door.

Steve stood in his way. "Danny, what are you doing? Where are you going?"

Danny didn't even look at Steve's face. "Away from here, to my place probably…" He said in a tight voice.

Steve frowned, but moved to let Danny pass. "You can't drive your car…" He said, hoping to change his friend's mind.

Danny didn't break his slow and pained stride. "I'll call a cab…" He said, opening the door.

As a last resort, Steve moved closer to his friend. "Danny, I was just trying to help…"

Danny turned to look sharply at Steve. "Trust me McGarrett, you helped. You've made it much easier for me to leave Hawaii…" and with that, he turned around and left, closing the door behind him.

* * *

TBC

* * *

**A/N: Well, if you're reading this, thank you very much for keeping up with this story. Life has been crazy busy, so I won't promise to update so soon, maybe that way I'll update sooner rather than later!  
**

**I'd love to hear what you think of this chapter, so feel free to drop a line!**


	6. Chapter 6

The following day was slow at work, far too slow for Steve's taste. There was not much to do but some paperwork, since the Governor had transferred most cases to HPD after the rescue of Congressman Freed, and to give Danny time to recover from his injuries.

Without anything more exciting to do, Steve spent most of the morning filling reports, supply requests and all kinds of paperwork while he abused the copy machine, the printer and his own computer. Before he could make any damage to the smart table, Chin intervened. "Alright brah, enough is enough. Why don't you just go talk to him?"

Steve shook his head, running a hand down his face. "I don't think that's a good idea Chin… You didn't see him last night; I've never seen him so pissed off…"

Just then Kono came out of her office. "Guys, I'm off to get us some lunch… Any requests?" She asked, looking at her teammates expectantly.

Chin gave Steve a look and turned to Kono with a pleasant smile. "Actually, we do have a request, Cuz…"

* * *

Before Kono came back from her errand, Steve got a call from the Governor, requesting his presence immediately.

They spent the entire afternoon reviewing protocols and tying loose ends on the report of Congressman Freed's abduction. Once they were done, Steve went back to HQ, hoping to find Kono and see how her errand had gone.

He hadn't even reached his office when he was practically assaulted by their rookie. "Where the hell have you been!? I've been calling you for hours!"

Steve raised his hands in a defensive position. "I was with the Governor!" He said in way of explanation. "Well, now I'm here. What's up?"

Kono rolled her eyes and started pushing Steve back towards the doors. "You've got to go see him! I got to his place just past noon and he hadn't took any of his meds, he was in pain, he probably hadn't eaten anything since last night and it looked and smelled like he'd had beer for dinner and breakfast! I left him some take out for lunch, but he didn't look like he was going to eat it…" She said in a concerned tone.

Steve frowned at the news. "Alright… I'm sure I'm the last person he wants to see right now, but enough is enough. I'll see you guys tomorrow, if I survive the night!" He said with a wave, before going out the door.

* * *

When Steve arrived at Danny's place, he found all the lights were out, but when he looked at Danny's parking spot, the Camaro was there. He debated whether to leave his friend alone, but he'd lost count of how many times Danny had dropped everything to help him, so he was not about to let Danny go through this alone, whether he wanted it or not.

Steve used his spare key to enter the dark apartment, the soft sound of snoring alerting him that the room was not empty. He moved quietly around the room, noticing the empty beer bottles and the bag of takeout that was still untouched. He reached the couch, where the soft snoring was coming from. He took a seat on the coffee table, studying his slumbering friend.

Danny was curled up on his side, his right arm wrapped protectively around his chest and a pained frown on his forehead. The dark shadows under his eyes and the restlessness of his sleep only served to reaffirm that he was not having such a pleasant nap.

Danny shifted in his sleep, wincing and breathing a pained moan. He opened his eyes to the sight of Steve's concerned face looking down at him. "What took you so long? I thought that once Kono gave you her full report, you'd be breaking in here in no time…" Danny muttered, while slowly sitting up.

Steve ignored the jab, moving to pick up the bag of meds on Danny's dinner table. "What time did you have your last beer?" He asked in a no nonsense tone.

Danny didn't answer Steve's question, not even moving from his place on the couch. "I want you out of here, now…" He growled.

Steve ignored him again, moving to get a bottle of water from the fridge. "You look sober enough, now take these…" He said, while trying to get Danny to take the pills and the bottle.

"Get those things off my face!" Danny snapped, slapping the bottle away, making it clatter to the floor but Steve managed to pull the pills away before they suffered the same fate. "I want you out of here right now or so help me…" Danny said, Standing up and moving in front of Steve.

Steve moved a couple of steps forward to get right in Danny's face. "Or what? Come on, tell me! What are you going to do, huh? You're in pain; you're exhausted and probably hung-over. Your ribs are killing you, your knee is barely holding your weight and since you took off the sling, your shoulder is screaming in pain…"

Danny was breathing heavily and starting to tremble, whether from pain or anger, Steve couldn't tell. "I want you to leave! I don't need or want your help!"

Steve was not moving. "Well, that's too bad, because I'm not leaving!" He yelled matching Danny's tone. He took a deep breath to try to calm himself. "Listen, Danny… I only want to help…" He said, lifting his hands in a placating gesture.

"Oh, you want to help! Why didn't you say so sooner!? How many times do I have to say it… I don't want your help! You've done enough damage as it is!" Danny snapped, pushing Steve aside and turning his back on his friend.

Steve was really making an effort to keep his temper in check, but he'd had a bad week too. "You know what? Fuck you! What exactly did you want me to do, huh? Please, explain to me when do you think it would have been a good time to tell you about what happened? Was it when you just woke up in the hospital? Or maybe when you finally got out, and you were still in a lot of pain, a wreck emotionally and with Grace not wanting to leave your side? Come on! Put yourself in my shoes and tell me what the hell you would've done?!"

"I don't know!" Danny yelled back, stumbling towards the couch and letting himself drop to the cushions, burying his face in his hands. "I don't know, okay… I… I just don't know…" He finished with a hitched breath.

* * *

Steve's anger vaporized at the sight of his friend's pain. He moved to sit next to his partner, gently putting his arm around Danny's shoulder. "I'm sorry Danno…"

Danny shook his head tiredly, not lifting his head from its bent position. "No… it's not your fault… It's just… She's leaving, again… and I'd follow her to hell and back, but… this was just starting to feel like home… and it sucks to have to leave again…" He said in a hoarse voice. He continued with a trembling sigh "But I'm supposed to make things easier for her, and what do I do instead? I- I hurt her, Steve… I hurt my baby…" He finished, with a stifled sob.

Steve gathered his friend close, careful of Danny's injuries, trying to offer what support he could. He hated to feel useless, but he hoped that at least he'd help by being there.

A couple of minutes later, Danny sat up straighter, roughly passing his hand down his face. "Sorry, man…" He said, clearing his throat.

Steve patted him gently on the back. "Don't worry about it, buddy… I've always said you were too sensitive…" He said with a small smile, which made Danny breath a soft chuckle. "No, seriously… Grace is alright… She'll be alright in Vegas, and she'll have you there, so you'll both be alright… I heard that LVPD has a great homicide division. I'm sure we can get the Governor to make some calls…" Steve continued.

Danny shrugged, moving his arm to wrap it around his chest again. "Yeah? Well, at least I won't have to worry about my partner getting me shot or totally ignoring proper police procedure…" He said with a sad smile.

Steve noticed the move, so he reached out to pick up the discarded pills and the bottle of water, handing them to Danny. "Alright, you take these…" He said, standing up to rummage in the takeout bag. "While I see if I can rescue something from what Kono brought…"

* * *

Steve managed to get some noodle soup into Danny before the meds started working, and after that, it was a matter of poking and nudging him to get him into his bed.

"I can sleep on the couch…" Danny mumbled, while stumbling towards his room.

"I'm sure you can, Danno… But you'll be more comfortable in the bed." Steve muttered, while trying to keep Danny from bumping into the door.

They finally reached the bed, where Steve helped Danny into a faded shirt and well worn pajama pants. He found Danny's sling on the floor and with some grumbling from the half asleep man, managed to put it on and finally get him lying down.

Danny looked at his friend, blinking tiredly. "Thanks babe… Sorry for being an asshole…" He mumbled tiredly

"Don't worry about it, Danno… Next time is my turn!" Steve said with a smile, patting his friend's knee.

"Damn, I'm gonna miss you, Super SEAL..." Danny said with a sad sigh.

"That's just the happy drugs talking, buddy...! Steve said with a chuckle. "In any case, I promised Grace that I'd visit, so I guess you'll see more of my face than you'd wish..."

Steve sat by his friend until Danny was asleep, feeling relieved that the lines of pain on his friend's face were fading. He pulled up a chair and sat down, intent on watching over his partner. He would make sure that nothing perturbed his sleep, at least for the night.

* * *

TBC…

* * *

A/N: Well, this is not exacty a happy chapter, but at least they're friends again. And I didn't make Grace cry again... So I hope you're not hating me so much...

I'd really love to hear what you think of this chapter! Thank you all for reading!


End file.
